I only write about baseball a couple of times a year, which requires great restraint because I think about it every day.
First, a shout-out to my lovely wife Cindy, who did not like baseball when we tied the knot in 1983. For the first seven years of our marriage, it wasn’t easy being an Atlanta Braves fan. They had won 89 games and a division title in 1982, but by 1989 they had a firm grip on last place. However, I stayed on the bandwagon through thin and thin.
Since 1991, they’ve been pretty darn good, with the exception of 2014 to 2017, the “post-Bobby Cox, pre-Brian Snitker” era.
Snitker is one of the great stories of our time. A lifetime member of the Braves organization, he paid his dues like no other. He lived on rickety buses and in cheap hotel rooms for three decades in the minor leagues before getting promoted to Cox’s big league coaching staff in 2007. First-class life was fun while it lasted, but by 2014, he was sent down again to manage the club’s Triple-A team at the age of 59, seemingly never to be heard from again.
When the 2016 Braves lost 28 of their first 37 games, the club fired manager Fredi Gonzalez, and Snitker was the surprise replacement. The experts said Snitker was just a temp who would fill in until the Braves could hire a big name. “Snit” foiled their plan by turning that ragtag team into a winner.
Snitker is now considered one of baseball’s top managers. He is widely respected, and he wears a 2021 World Series championship ring. He’s a big reason that Cindy and many other former non-fans have embraced the Braves. He is a family man, approachable, and much loved by players young enough to be his grandsons.
Snitker is good at adapting to change, which comes in handy. Last year, the team lost homegrown superstar Freddie Freeman to the Los Angeles Dodgers. It seemed like a knockout punch, but the Braves responded by acquiring slugger Matt Olson and winning 13 more games than the previous year. Recently, fan favorite Dansby Swanson abandoned the Braves and their quest for a 6th consecutive National League East title in favor of more money from the Chicago Cubs. I predict star pitcher Max Fried will also be lured away in the next year or so. The Braves will survive.
Change is also in the air for fans. For the first time since 1976, there will not be a Caray in the TV broadcast booth. Skip Caray delivered his sardonic wit until his death in 2008, followed by his son Chip, who has now moved on to the St. Louis Cardinals. Chip’s cheerful but cliche-heavy style wore thin on a daily basis, as he announced every inning of every game. Back in the day, Skip, Pete Van Wieren, Ernie Johnson and Don Sutton would alternate between TV and radio, keeping everyone fresh. Chip’s replacement Brandon Gaudin is an improvement, but unfortunately he will have the daily nine-inning grind as well.
Familiar faces Brian Jordan and Paul Byrd will also not be on this year’s TV crew. It is unfortunate that there is apparently no place for Jim Powell on Braves broadcasts. The team’s longtime radio voice is now limited to only a handful of games in a true “Unsolved Mystery.”
Braves fans can still watch the games on cable, but those days are numbered. Bally Sports is drowning in debt, so prepare to shell out 25-30 bucks a month to stream your favorite team, maybe as soon as 2024. Some fans are unable to do this, which is sad in so many ways.
Finally, get ready for the rule changes. I just returned from spring training, and the games are considerably shorter. You won’t see as many hitters readjusting their batting gloves ten times between pitches. Pitchers must work faster. Pick-off moves to first base are limited, which should increase the number of stolen base attempts, making the game more exciting.
It’s been a chilly, dark winter. The grass is green, the sky is blue, and the Braves are undefeated. Play ball!
